Low-income students often lack the guidance and support needed to submit successful entries to scientific research competitions, a critical milestone for students intending to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Society for Science & the Public (SSP) is piloting a new program to recruit teachers, counselors, and scientists to become advocates for these students and help close the Excellence Gap, the disparity between the numbers of low- and high-income students who reach the top levels of academic performance. Thirty to 50 low-income students will participate in the program’s first year.